Highway tractors and other large trucks are known to employ an engine braking system to help slow the vehicle, rather than relying solely on the standard wheel brakes. A known problem with conventional engine brake installations is that the standard brake lights are not illuminated in response to activation of the engine brake, whereby other trailing motorists on the roadway are not visually warned of the truck's impending speed reduction when the engine brake is applied.
Prior solutions for activating brake lights in response to engine braking are found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,401 by Barrows, U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,418 of Furgeson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 8,217,778 of Kirkman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,301 of Neal, Jr.; and U.S. Patent Application Publication 2008/0157955 of Wichmann.
However, there remains room for improved and alternative solutions for engine brake indicator lighting, in response to which Applicant has created a unique module for safe engine brake application indication.